Volkswagen UP! Lite Concept

[jamie@vwvortex]

Wolfsburg / Los Angeles, December 2009. Volkswagen – Europe’s strongest automotive brand – is setting standards worldwide when it comes to efficiency with its clean high-tech TDI and TSI engines. Now this is being followed up by latest coup at the Los Angeles Auto Show (December 4 to 13): the world premiere of the Up! Lite A progressive, fuel efficient and in all details cleverly designed four- seater with a hybrid drive. Combined fuel consumption: 2.44 l/100 km or 70 mpg/highway! No other car is more sustainable. With a drive concept consisting of a TDI (turbo-diesel), electric motor and 7-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) as well as top aerodynamics (Cd value: 0.237), Volkswagen is driving CO2 emissions down to a sensational 65 g/km. This makes the three-door concept the world’s most fuel efficient car – and from the perspective of its overall CO2 footprint the world’s most environmentally friendly four-seat car as well. Both technically and visually, the Up! Lite is a preview of the future. The image of the car body with its clean lines, as though sculpted from a block of aluminium, underscores just how fascinating a car tuned to aerodynamic perfection can look...

FULL STORY...

[G60ING]

I like it.
It looks like the Volvo C30 which is something I wish VW made so i could buy one.

[vwcruisn]

i like the earlier sketches better. why do car company's never go with the original sketch!!!

[idwurks]

Great renderings. Hard to believe that isn't a real car.

I am not a huge fan of the proportions though as it sits very high. I would have taken a bit more inspiration from the original Honda Insight.

But from a sustainable perspective - great work VW Design Studio

[Nemesis-Brad]

Needs to be a true NEW car launch for a true production product , not rendered HYPE! about a concept car .
VW still proving their off the back when it comes to new car offerings.

[joedubbs]

not bad but it needs to materialize.. is that chi town in the back ground? oh and i like the jetta tdi cup on the homepage more haha

[vdubfrodo09]

Quote, originally posted by joedubbs »

not bad but it needs to materialize.. is that chi town in the back ground? oh and i like the jetta tdi cup on the homepage more haha

i agree and i was reading road and track and VW has a car called the L1 concept? do a little writeup on that thing haha. 62 miles per 1 liter of diesel fuel

[TWinbrook46636]

With a 50hp 0.8 liter 2-cylinder engine + 14hp electric motor really I don't see this selling in the US, especially with a 12.5 second 0-60 time. Maybe if you can knock it down to 10 seconds. Just give us a Golf diesel hybrid.

[Dawg Dee-Lux]

Quote, originally posted by idwurks »

Great renderings. Hard to believe that isn't a real car. I am not a huge fan of the proportions though as it sits very high. I would have taken a bit more inspiration from the original Honda Insight. But from a sustainable perspective - great work VW Design Studio

I thought they where showing it on the L.A. Autoshow?

[GoFaster]

Quote, originally posted by TWinbrook46636 »

With a 50hp 0.8 liter 2-cylinder engine + 14hp electric motor really I don't see this selling in the US, especially with a 12.5 second 0-60 time. Maybe if you can knock it down to 10 seconds. Just give us a Golf diesel hybrid.

Believe it or not, plenty of us grew up with vehicles that were mostly slower than this. My '78 Civic was slower than that, and Mk1 Golf/Rabbit was slower than that, and those cars were the *quickest* in their segments. The Detroit compacts of the 1970's, for the most part, were no faster and in many cases slower. And ya know what, we did fine.

The average person even today does not accelerate away from a traffic light faster than about a 15-sec zero to 60 mph / 100 km/h pace.

Agree, it makes for a tough sell job. The thing with hybrid powertrains is that you can play games with the electric side of it to get quicker acceleration without making the engine any bigger.

I like it.

[Dawg Dee-Lux]

The electrical boost can also completely eliminate turbo-lag, at least at lower speeds.

[vwishndaetr]

I hate how ugly is always associated with function.

Can't they make a regular not so start trek body for their 7 mpg?

[nomad1721]

Throw on some different rollers and I could dig it. MUCH better looking than the Insight and Prius IMHO.

Josh

[TWinbrook46636]

Quote, originally posted by GoFaster »

Believe it or not, plenty of us grew up with vehicles that were mostly slower than this. My '78 Civic was slower than that, and Mk1 Golf/Rabbit was slower than that, and those cars were the *quickest* in their segments. The Detroit compacts of the 1970's, for the most part, were no faster and in many cases slower. And ya know what, we did fine.

Yeah but would you be fine driving that '78 Civic in today's traffic? How about turning right onto a busy street with cars speeding by. Nothing like making the turn in a slow car and having someone speeding up behind you as soon as you do. You could sit there until the light turns green all the while having people in back of you honking and swearing. There are more cars on the road today and people are driving those cars faster.

[amerikanzero]

i for one absolutely love it.

[Eurofan4eva]

Do I see a MK VII golf preview? Headlights and lines look close to the leak vid....

[Passat94VR6]

I see Tennessee plates . . . they better bring this over if it's built - enough with the teasing.

[GoFaster]

Quote, originally posted by TWinbrook46636 »

Yeah but would you be fine driving that '78 Civic in today's traffic?

Yes, I would.

One of my vehicles is a Honda CBR125R motorcycle, which has 12 horsepower. Yes, you have to wring its neck, but it does fine in traffic.

[feels_road]

I think in much of the world this could do fine. But, in the US (and in the rest of the world as a predominantly city car) I am not sure I buy into this idea that such a car has to be an all-rounder. It only needs this shape to achieve its outstanding C_d and highway mileage. However, you compromise rear seating (height) and hatch volume - two aspects that are important in the city and if you truly want people to sit in the back.

If I were to design a car to bring to the market soon and at only a moderate loss (given today's battery prices), I would start with a plug-in hybrid or EV with range extender that can drive about 10-15 miles on electricity, alone. Make it a 4-seater with removable rear seats and according head space and cargo room that is not (as much) compromised by the aerodynamic shape. If people predominantly use it in the city, that makes little difference. Moreover, these vehicles need to be light and therefore flimsy: most people wouldn't want to drive these on extended highway trips in the land of SUVs and minivans, anyway.

Conversely, in the US a car that is designed for extended highway use needs to be slightly bigger, heavier (i.e., safer), and more comfortable. The Prius' on-highway drive is borderline, the Insight's already too compromised. You simply can't get worse than the Insight in terms of driving dynamics, highway comfort, and interior space and expect any sales whatsoever in the US (as the Insight vs. Prius sales numbers amply demonstrate). For a predominantly city car, these parameters change.

[smb1.8t]

i hope they put that motor in a better looking car!!!

[VolksTrooper]

Impressive numbers
Combined
2.44 L/100 km=96 US MPG.
Hwy
3.36 L/100=70 US MPG
City?
1.52 L/100km=154 US MPG

[feels_road]

Quote, originally posted by vwcruisn »

i like the earlier sketches better. why do car company's never go with the original sketch!!!

Quote, originally posted by autocar »

“Our experience with the VW Lupo 3L showed us that customers aren’t prepared to pay very high premiums for economy cars of this size, so any production version of the car would have to be designed to be cheaper to manufacture." The production version of the Up! Lite would be likely to look more like the standard Up. The bespoke design of the concept car is intended to test public reaction to a sportier version of the Up, but won’t influence the look of the first Up production cars. On that theme, Hackenburg said the Up! Lite was part of a wider pool of Up! cars planned by the firm. "We want to create an Up! family because we are fairly certain that the segment will grow and we need more variations and derivatives," he said. "We also need a combination of powertrain strategies. "At Frankfurt there was an EV version of the Up and that will come to market in 2013 and the first prototypes are already on the road. A plug in range extender will be here by 2015. We built it to see if customers demand an eco-car to look different. In my opinion the visualisation of a car like this needs to be unique. There’s a danger of conformity and it’s important to look different."

[buttman226]

It would sell like hotcakes here in the silicon valley and let's face it, the rest of the world doesn't really matter.

[racecrmike]

Looks VERY similar to the old Honda CRX. That car in the HF trim could get 50MPG with 'gasoline' and still be a hoot to drive. Some are still running around with over 300k miles on them.

[Grinder]

I was impressed to read the European fuel economy of some of the production models at the end of the article. I hope that this contiues to get visibility in NA to drive some demand for these drivetrains.

I look forward to seeing a production cars with video rear view mirrors like on this and other cool show cars.

[Gr8mafy]

Ugly ass end, cool ass interior..

[AudiVwMeister]

i like it. i like orig. better. but i'd this were here along side the polo 3 door gti, that would (will) be a car i'd buy.

[Air and water do mix]

Quote, originally posted by Grinder »

I look forward to seeing a production cars with video rear view mirrors like on this and other cool show cars.

Because? Sure, it's more aerodynamic, but the disadvantages of cost and complexity easily negate that advantage in my opinion. Simple is better. "Any part not included on a vehicle costs nothing and never breaks." It was a quote from a GM executive decades ago and it's what VW used to live by. I hope that it comes back.

[Air and water do mix]

Quote, originally posted by buttman226 »

It would sell like hotcakes here in the silicon valley and let's face it, the rest of the world doesn't really matter.

That kind of remark really doesn't do your image any good. At all. Unless my sarcasm meter is on the fritz.

[elmer fud]

like it better then the org "up"

[killajr@hardocre]

ew.

[85GTI]

Quote, originally posted by TWinbrook46636 »

With a 50hp 0.8 liter 2-cylinder engine + 14hp electric motor really I don't see this selling in the US, especially with a 12.5 second 0-60 time. Maybe if you can knock it down to 10 seconds. Just give us a Golf diesel hybrid.

12.5 sec is plenty fine. Over the last 20 years people have developed ridiculous expectations of power and acceleration. My 1974 Opel Manta did something like 12.5 sec and it was fine. My 85 GTI supposedly did 9, but it never felt that fast.

As oil production falls people will have no choice but to adjust to the new paradigm - slower more fuel efficient cars. Why fight it?

And one way to do it is to make cars like this one. Cool looking inside and out, desirable and super fuel efficient. Win, win, win.


Modified by 85GTI at 9:03 PM 12-3-2009

[A2gtirulz]

Is it just me, or does it look like a smiling Stormtrooper?

[29_MALE_SOCAL_SPICY]

VAG finally dropped the diesel hybrid. I see it as a bigg F you to toyota.

[Djibril]

I'd rather this than the original Up! concept. That looked incredibly awkward. Though if fuel efficiency is their goal, I'm not sure why they'd put 18" wheels on it.